The present invention relates generally to the field of electrosurgery, and more particularly to surgical devices and methods which employ high frequency electrical energy to treat vascular disorders, such as, cutaneous vascular lesions, port wine stains, face veins, telangiectasis, spider veins, birth marks and the like.
A cutaneous vascular lesion, such as telangiectasis or spider capillaries of the lower extremities, is a condition where previously microscopic blood vessels have become dilated. They are visible through the skin appearing as red, blue or purple variably tortuous lines or patches. The causes of this abnormal enlargement of vessels are not fully understood, and although they are of little medical consequence, their cosmetic significance can be great.
The most common treatment used for cutaneous vascular lesions is sclerotherapy, which entails the intravascular injection of one of a variety of agents into the abnormal blood vessels. The injected substance injures the interior walls of the capillary causing it to shrink or disappear. Unfortunately, this treatment can be painful, only partially effective, and usually requires about one to two months waiting before improvement can be seen. In addition, undesirable side effects can occur, such as echymotic or hyperpigmented marks, which may take months to completely fade away.
In the treatment of vascular lesions, a variety of different lasers (e.g., CO2, Argon, tunable dye, pulsed dye, KTP, Nd/Yag) have been used to irradiate the surface of the skin. The laser energy penetrates through the skin and is absorbed by the constituents in the blood, which coagulates and collapses the vein. Unfortunately, there are also problems associated with the use of lasers in these procedures. For example, although most of the laser energy passes through the tissue to the vessel, scattering and absorption of the light take place in the tissue. This absorption can cause significant changes in skin coloration and even scarring. In addition, if the laser energy is delivered over too long a period, significant thermal damage will occur in regions beyond the vein being treated. Moreover, the interaction between laser light and melanin pigments in the epidermis that overlies the target vessels can cause long term hyperpigmentation, persistent scabs and sometimes permanent scarring.